SR: Forgotten Past
by TheFabulousCurkim
Summary: Another of my MANY versions of season 2. Hunter has been beleived dead for five years, but he's alive and well not five miles from where he supposedly died! Suddenly, the Spider Riders find they're mising comrade, and turmoil begins!
1. Chapter 1

**SPIDER RIDERS: Forgotten past**

Corona's POV:

I hate the snow lands. It's cold, it's barren and it took my battle partner's life. We never were able to find the body, but he would have frozen to death within a day anyway. Sparkle still blames herself, since the only reason he went out in the snowstorm was because she and Hotarla had gotten stuck in on the ice bridge. It had begun to crumble when they were half way across. If he hadn't saved the princess, he could have survived. He fell into the chasm, and was most likely crushed by the ice. The only thing we found was Shadow, searching desperately for his rider. That was five years ago, and now we must return for buisness, in the town a mere five miles from Hunter's icey tomb.

No ones POV:

" Hi Hunter." whispered Sparkle, dropping a stargazer lilly into the chasm. " We're here on some buisness, so I thought I'd come to pay my respects...after all, Hotarla and I owe our lives to you..."

" Sparkle..." said Corona comfortingly, looking at the tiny spack of red on the white snow. " Hunter would never blame you for what happened. You know that."

" I know." sobbed Sparkle, hugging Corona. " But it's still my fault he's dead! If I had been quicker-"

" Sparkle, stop beating yourself up over it!" commanded Lumen. " Hunter didn't give up his life for you to sulk about his death. He died because he saw you has more important than his safety, so honor his sacrafice and be happy that your alive!"

" Guys!" called Magma, wrapped up in his parka. " We gotta get going!"

" Come on Sparkle. We have buisness to attend to." urdged Corona kindly.

" To Junta!" called out Magma, rideing Brutus towards the snow land's capitol.

The teenage boy sat stareing at his left wrist on the snowy cliff. His long, auburn hair was tied up into a tight bun, only his bangs remained free. The odd bracelet was his only link to wherever he came from, the thing that had been with him when the elder's found him in the snow five years ago. He heard faint trumpeting comming from his adopted village, the arrival of the mysterious Spider Riders being publicly announced. Still, he didn't even turn in his head. He didn't need to see more travelers, as the adopted son of the elder council, he ended up HOSTING most travelers if the Inns were to full.

" Hope Oba-chan is having fun with the foeigners." he muttered, returning to his deep thought.

" Welcome to Junta!" exclaimed one of the elders in the council. All of the present Spider Riders sat on their indicated seats, bowing first.

" Thank you for accepting us." said Lumen graciously as an elder woman approached. Her eyes seemed transfixed on his left wrist, and on his manacle. With lightning fast reflexes, she siezed his arm gently, examining the manacle.

" I've seen one of these before!" she exclaimed. " My son has one of these bracelets!"

" Wha-?" exclaimed Corona. " How? No Spider could survive long enough to reach adult hood in this climate!"

" Her son is a foundling." explained a male elder, flocking to examine the manacle. " We found him half a decade ago, dieing of hypothermia. When we found him, one of these was on his wrist. He must have come from your country!"

" When he finaly came to, he could'nt remember where he came from, what the bracelet was called, or his own name." reported another.

" Speaking of that little demon, where is he?" asked the fourth, and final elder.

" He's probubly up on the cliffs as usual." said the first. " It's the only place nobody will bother him when he wants to think."

" Corona, Sparkle, get a guide and find our new comrade." ordered Lumen, smileing. " It's time to let this kid find out his true identity. Hunter would have loved this, seeing the Spider Riders get annother member."

" Right." said Corona sadly.

" We can get you guide to the cliffs immediately." said the first elder. " Oh, Ember will be so hapy to be getting out of here! He's a wanderer you know. Can't resist the pull of adventure!"

" Yippee." said Magma sarcasticly. " Hopefully he's not as saucy as Hunter was, or else we'd be biteing of more than we can chew!"

" Are you ready to go?" asked a young woman, dressed in a heavy red parka.

" As we'll ever be." informed Sparkle as the trio left the tent, walking towards the high cliffs bordering the city."


	2. Chapter 2

Ch2 at last! Check out DeviantART for more of my fanfics and paint art!

" So you lost your friend at the ice bridge?" asked Wren, looking at the two Spider Riders sadly. " I'm so sorry. If only Em's memory wasn't lost. He was found in the same area. He might know what happened to him."

" Maybe. Anyway, what's Ember like?" asked Corona, smileing. " How old is he? Can he already fight?"

" He's the only one who knows his actual age. That was all he remembered. I'm pretty sure he's sixteen." She said, looking around the small villiage. " As for the fighting skills, he's a natural. Just last month he fought off a snow bear solo. Those things are friggen HUGE! I guess big things come in small packages."

" Eh?" questioned Corona.

" He's realy short for a male!" giggled Wren. " He's only about an inch or two taller than you! But DAMN he is good looking! As my mother says, 'A shame such perfect features are wasted on a boy'."

" Come on!" said Sparkle, looking skeptical. " He can't be THAT cute!"

" Yeah. The only shame is the scar..."

" The scar?" repeated both Spider riders.

" Above his right eye, on his forehead. Oba-chan says that it's from the wound that caused him to lose his memory." She exclaimed. " And speak of the devil, here comes the amnesiac!"

Corona looked where she was pointing, holding her breath. A fairly short, lightly built boy in an emerald green parka was visible exiting one of the many shops in villiage square. She could not see his face, but his auburn hair reminded her of Hunter, though to long for his style.

" Hey Em!" said Wren excitedly, snapping Corona out of her daze. " Meet Princess Sparkle and Corona of the Spider Riders!"

" Wow. Spider Riders. Now if you'll excuse me, this has to go to the council ASAP." He gestured to the bag of paper and quils, sidestepping and walking right past them.

" It figures." Said Wren, smacking her forehead. " He IS a Spider Rider and he's the only one in the villiage who doesn't give a rat's ass about you!" She sighed as she watched him trip over his own feet, barely avoiding a major wipeout.

" Kinda reminds me of Hunter, except for the hair. Even his eyes are the same color." Sighed Sparkle as the three girls ran to catch up with him.

" Ha ha ha!" giggled Wren. " Maybe they're the same person!" Corona and Sparkle froze at Wren's words, their eyes widening. Both bolted after the red head, quickly catching up and knocking him down.

" Hey! What the hell is your dammage?" he yelped as they undid the fastenings on his parka, trying to get a clear view of his face.

" Woah!" yelped Wren, looking shocked. " I wasn't serious!"

Corona didn't hear her. She looked wide-eyed at the face she never thought she would see again, words sticking in her throught.

" H-Hunter!"


	3. Chapter 3

Ch3! YAY! Should I start naming my chapters?...

" HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" laughed Ember, clutching his sides. " You're all completely insane!"

" We're telling the truth Hunter!" insisted Magma, looking desperately at him.

" Will you stop calling me that? My name is Ember."

" You can't remember anything before you woke up here, right?" insisted Lumen. " How do you know we're wrong? The timelines fit to perfectly to be pure coincidence!"

" You are still friggin nuts." Said Ember flatly, sending them a no nonsense look.

" Please give us a chance!" pleaded Corona. She was still examining the scar on his head, checking if it was properly healed.

"...Fine." he said, rolling his eyes. " Two months trial, and if you cannot prove that I had ANY affiliation with you, I'm leaving."

" Deal." Said Lumen. " The two months will began the morning after we arrive at Arachna Castle."

" Agreed." Stated Ember, getting up. " I'm heading to bed. Good night."

" Oh Hunter-" began Corona, only to be cut off by the door locking.

" That could have gone worse." Groaned Lumen. " He thinks we're lunatics!"

" It must be pretty damn confusing for him. No memory, no friends or family, and here we are out of the blue saying we're his closest friends who basically left him for dead in the snow lands." Said Magma. " He won't be warming up any time soon."

" That DOES sound really bad..." sighed Corona.

Let's turn in. Try to come up with some idea's to win him over. Dismissed!" announced Lumen, heading into his assigned room.

Corona sighed in frustration, sitting up in bed. Her mind reeling, she just couldn't sleep. Her body went rigid as she saw something move in the large garden below. Blanket wrapped around her, she darted out of her room, silently opened the garden doors, and dashed over the snow drifts. A sudden soft glow spread across the snow, temporarily blinding the blonde.

" What the hell are you doing outside at this time of night blondie?" asked Ember, opening the door for a fat grey cat. His hair hung loosely around his shoulders, curling slightly at the tips.

'_**Wren WAS'NT joking about his looks!' **_thought Corona, blushing lightly. " I saw something move in the shadows and I wanted to see what it is."

" That is just Ash. I forgot to let him in. Sorry for disturbing you." He said curtly, turning away from her.

" H-Ember! Wait!" she said, running up to him. " Do you...do you believe we may be right? I mean-"

" Why do you care?" he shot back, looking icily at her. " Why do you keep trying to convince me I'm someone else?"

" Your still you, even if you don't remember us." She said quietly. " And I won't give up on you, because I'm not letting you die a second time."

" A second time?" asked Hunter, looking confused. Corona touched the scar on his forehead, tracing it's full length into his hair.

" You were out on the ice bride, five years ago. Sparkle and Hotarla had gotten stuck halfway across. The snow storm was closing in and you went to get her. And then..." she began, shuddering. " The bridge began to collapse. Sparkle and Hotarla made it, but you fell into the abyss. And we never saw you again."

Ember looked a little shocked, not saying a word. Corona quickly withdrew, taking a few steps back.

" And now you don't even remember your name, and keep pushing us away." She said tearily. Her eyes widened as she felt something wipe away her tears.

" Shut off the water works." Commanded the red head gently. " Go get some sleep and things will feel better in the morning."

He shooed her down the hall, heading to his room in the opposite direction. She stood there, watching him go, clutching the soft leather cloth in her fist.


	4. Chapter 4

Ch4! I hope this won't turn out as corny as I think it will...

" Err, Hun-Ember, why is your bag squirming?" Asked Sparkle as they neared the city of Araja. Cautiously, the red head flipped open his bag, frowning.

" I think I just found out where our emergency rations have been disappearing to." He said, pulling out the chubby grey cat. It purred as it lovingly rubbed it's head on Ember's arm. " I swear your mother was a pig!" grouched Hunter, putting Ash back into the back pack.

" Corona!" squealed two voices from up front. Two brunettes dashed up to the blonde one, squeezing her tightly.

" We're back!" she said happily. " I was wondering if we would be welcome o stay the night!"

" Any time! We'll prepare four rooms-"

" Actually, we'll need five. " she glanced at Ember, signalling for him to come forward. The two brunettes looked as if they had seen a ghost, their eyes wide with shock.

" B-but your dead!" they squeaked in shock.

" Sorry to disappoint, but I haven't kicked the bucket yet." Ember shot them an icy glare, making them cower.

" Your social skills are totally abysmal." Groaned Magma, watching the two girls lead them to their home, keeping a safe distance from him.

Ember just rolled his eyes, muttering something under his breath.

" Are you sure this is Hunter?" whispered Nina, poking Corona. Ember and Magma were currently locked in a serious chess match, which Ember was winning by a landside. " He's friggin scary!"

" Underneath that icy front, I'm sure he's still has some milk of human kindness." Interjected Lumen sarcastically. " Deep, deep, deep in there somewhere."

" Shut up you idiot!" hissed Corona, elbowing him in the ribs.

" Check mate." Said Ember dully, watching Magma's shocked expression with un-interest.

" H-How did you do that in twenty moves?"

" Cold logic. You are actually pretty predictable. For instance you are going to deny everything I just said."

" That's ridiculous!"

" Denial get's you nowhere." Said Ember coolly.

" Or he's just naturally cold and calculating." Sighed Lumen.

A sudden bangs hook the hose, screaming echoing from the village.

" We're under attack!" declared Lumen, setting down the glass of water in his hand. " Get ready to fight!"

" Finally!" muttered Hunter. " Some action!"

" Then let's see your skills." Said Lumen, picking up a sword, but the red head was already out the door.

" What is he thinking? No sword? No armour? He's suicidal!" yelped Magma, starting after him.

" Come on. Let's save his cocky hide." Sighed Lumen, tailed by Corona and Sparkle.


	5. Chapter 5

Ch5! Watching Vampire knight AMVS on YouTube! I didn't know it was a show!

The rebel Invectids charged towards the five Spider Riders, the brand of exile visible on their foreheads. The wave was so thick, it was impossible to tell who the commanding officer was, or where.

Ember was already on the front line, ready to fight. Magma finally caught up to him, already in full battle form.

" You idiot!" he growled, how are you supposed to fight without a weapon!"

" What makes you think I don't have a weapon?" he shot back, pulling out the four chopsticks in his hair. Each one had a small, impossibly sharp, tip covered by a thin leather sheath.

" You were armed the whole time we were traveling?" gasped Lumen, having joined them along with Sparkle and Corona.

" Never leave yourself open and always be prepared to fight to the death." he said coldly, firing a quill into the closest Invectid's head. The pink Invectid shuddered, dying in moments. " In war, it's kill or be killed."

Corona shuddered. _**'Hunter would never say something like that!'**_

" Corona! Snap out of it!" ordered Lumen, the fight in full swing.

The dead and wounded piled up around them, Ember evading every attack the sent at him. Little did they know that they were being watched.

" The small male has talent." Said one Insector, recording them with a cam-bug. " He could prove useful to us."

" You idiot! Do you realize who he is?" gasped the female. " That is the missing Spider Rider! I thought he died in the mountains!"

" Apparently our trap at the ice bridge didn't work." Hissed the male. " We must kill him before the prophecy fulfills itself!"

" Let them have this small victory." Said the female. " We'll kill him in Arachna and make it look like a servant killed him."

The morning sun painted the halls of her adopted sister's house a deep fuchsia as Corona slowly made her way to Ember's room.

" Hunter?" she said, knocking on the door. " Breakfast!"

All she heard was a soft shuffling from behind the door. Rolling her eyes she yanked open the door, to find the red head sprawled out on his stomach on the mattress. Ash was napping on his back, curled into an impossibly small ball for such a big cat. His hair was loose, and the victim of insane bed head.

" HUNTER!" she yelled in his ear, waking him up with a jolt.

" What the hell?" he mumbled, still half asleep. Rubbing his eyes, he sat up yawning.

" Come on! Breakfast!"

" Fine. I'll be down in a minute." He mumbled, getting himself off the bed.

" Nice boxers." Said Corona, frowning. " Don't you own any pyjama's?"

Ember just ignored her. Angrily, she stomped back downstairs, where Aqune rammed and hugged her tightly.

" Corona! Is it true?" she asked, dragging her back to the living room, where Igneous also waited. " Is Hunter alive?"

" Y-yes, but he's not really himself..."

" We snooped around a little in the archives and found something very disturbing." Announced Igneous.

" What? A picture of Lumen in a Speedo?"

" No." Said Igneous, shooting an icy glare at a snickering Magma.

" The ice bridge collapse was no accident. Someone tried to kill Hunter and the princess."


	6. Chapter 6

CH6! YAY !

" Someone tried to KILL them?" exclaimed Corona, looking completely terrified.

" Yes. We think it has something to do with these documents." Said Igneous, tossing three files on the kitchen table. " Look through the first document."

" This is the file on the bridge collapse." She whispered. " But, the file was allot thicker the last time I saw it."

" Someone took the rest of it. There's something big going on, and apparently Hunter is a liability to the plan."

" But why?" Asked Sparkle. " What has he done?"

" I'm afraid that only Hunter can answer that, and he cannot tell us that in his present condition." Said Lumen gravely.

" It's so bright..." murmured Ember, gazing at the sun as he laced up the side of his summer clothes (A thick sweater and leggings). A sudden pain in his head forced him over, a million icy needles stabbing into his head.

_**Snow stained red. Cold. Pain. **_

" _**I'm going to die."**_

As quickly as it had come, it was gone, leaving him in a cold sweat. " What the hell was that?"

" Aqune and Igneous, you remember Hunter, correct?" said Lumen casually as Ember walked quietly down the stairs. " Pony tail today Hunter?" Ember completely ignored him, obviously preoccupied.

" Wow! Something must be very wrong! He didn't even yell at you for calling him Hunter!" exclaimed Magma.

" To tired to yell at the idiot prince." Retorted Ember tiredly with a yawn.

" Care to fill us in?" asked Aqune, flabbergasted that Hunter would openly state that the prince was an idiot.

" Long story short, he's got some serious amnesia, thinks his name is Ember and hate's our guts." Said Lumen lightly.

" I don't hate you, I just haven't decided if I like you yet." Shrugged Ember.

" At least he's honest." Said Aqune.

" Crap!" yelled Nina from the kitchen.

" There goes breakfast." Sighed Zina.

" We'll go get you groceries! Yelped the six riders, bolting out the door.

" Aren't you going?" asked Nina.

" No. I'll use the spare rations I brought to cook us breakfast." Said Hunter, digging through his pack, pulling out a few packages and jars.

" You didn't tell them you had food?"

" They never asked."


	7. Chapter 7

_For my completed works pictures of the characters and more stories , please see DeviantART._

__

" Wow..." sighed Ember flatly, picking up a chunk of fish. " Your just making this up as you go along. Have you ever considered a career as an author?"

" See?" sighed Magma. " We can't get through to him!"

" Come on! What kind of lunatic would attack children in the middle of nowhere? Besides, how could you destroy an ice bridge in a few seconds?" informed Ember, scratching Ash's head as the cat leaped onto his lap. " It would take at least five hundred kilos of explosives and thousands of water-proof casing and thousands of workers to put it all together to pull it off! Not exactly what I would call a covert operation."

" Hunter's right." said Aqune thoughtfully. " How could something that massive have escaped our notice?"

" Exactly..." mused Lumen. " Maybe it was set up ahead of time."

" But only the ministers knew our rout." Magma huffed irritably. " Why would they want to kill Hunter?"

" I don't know, but we may have a mole on our hands." Igneous stiffened at the prince's words, getting up from the floor.

" Then we must leave for Arachna quickly. We have quite a few ministers to interview." proclaimed Igneous, collecting the empty bowls and beginning to wash them roughly. Ember raised his eyebrows at Igneous' blazeing eyes.

" Does he have rage issues?" he asked Aqune flatly. Aqune could'nt help but giggle at the venomous look Igneous shot at the red head, holding up a bowl as if seriously considering hucking it at him. While Aqune was having a giggle fit, Corona noticed Ember stiffen, as if he were in some kind of pain.

" Hunter, are you alright?" she asked worriedly.

" I'm fine." he answered weakly. " Just a migrane." Corona frowned, her intuition telleing her he was telling a lie. Ember got up and went outside, claiming to need a little fresh air. Corona didn't hear Magma making a joke about getting heat stroke in his so called "Summer clothes". She didn't hear Ember's retaliateing insult. All she could think about was...

_What is he hideing?_

__

Ember sat down on the worn stone bench in Zina and Nina's garden. The icy pain had struck again.

_** A face...Why is it so familiar? It's so warm...Where am I?**_

_** -Then darknes-**_

_** " Hello?" and old woman entered the tent, carrying some blankets.**_

_** " Ow..."**_

_** " Oh great Oracle! He's awake!" she called, three more people rushing into the tent. Hands touched where the scratchy fabric of bandages were.**_

_** " What's your name?" asked an old man, his grey hair tickling my face.**_

_** A sudden wave of panic. " I...can't remember."**_

_** " I think he's lost his memory." said a fith person, though I could'nt see them.**_

_** " I think we should call you 'Ember' because of your fiery red hair." said the first old woman, strokeing the side of my face. It felt nice. " From now on, I'm your Mother, okay Ember?"**_

_** I nodded. Then I felt something on my wrist. I looked at the strange, bulky bracelet. What is it? I feel like I should know what it is. I can almost say it...**_

__" The day Oba-chan and council found me..." he whispered quietly. He looked at the manacle on his wrist, feeling the same bubbleing in the back of his mind as he always did when seeing it. _Why is this happening? How did I lose my memories?_ thought Ember, slightly paniced, thou why he was paniced, he did'nt quite understand. He saw Corona, Lumen and the dark-haired girl talking, Corona occasionaly glanceing at him, as if worried.

_Maybe my best bet for answers is sticking with the phsycopaths..._

" Hu..Ember." corected the dark-haired girl, popping out of nowhere. " We're leaveing soon."

Ember nodded, getting up to grab his bag. Ash was already culed up inside, burried under the green parka. Only his pink nose and whiskers were visibly.

" For such a fat cat, he can annoyingly cute." he muttered under his breath, slinging the seal skin bag over his shoulder.

" So, onward to Arachna!" declared the prince, hopping on top of Ebony. The other rider's followed suit with their Spiders, Ember hitching a ride on Brutus until they arrived at Arachna.

Until he met his Spider.

Until he met the Spider they had told him about since leaveing Junta.

Until he met Shadow.


	8. Chapter 8

Ch8!

" Wow..." whistled Ember, raising his eyebrows. " And you LIVE here?"

" Yup, and so do you." said Aqune, smileing. The bubbleing feeling resurfaced in his mind.

" In Junta, soldiers families live on military compounds, and need passports to enter the city while still in service." mused Ember.

" Weird." answered Aqune, shooting out more questions about Junta. Corona could'nt help feel a little jealous; he never used his usual annoyed scowl with the violet eyed eyed Rider.

" Prince Lumen!" yelled a blonde guard, the huge gold pendant hanging from his neck swinging like a pendulum. He stopped in his tracks when he noticed the red head sitting cross-legged on Brutus, looking at him with a both annoyed and curious glare. Ember seemed slightly ammused when his skin went pale, and his mouth opened and closed in stupor, random bits of nonsense flowing from his mouth.

" Hi Slate." said Igneous, raising his hand and waveing slightly.

" But...the brige...you said...BUT HE'S DEAD!" exclaimed Slate.

" Sorry for the disapointment." frowned Ember. By now, nearly everyone who had seen him had made it perfectly clear he was supposed to be dead, infuriateing the red head.

" Slate, bring every last file we have about Hunter Steele. Pictures, possessions, everything!" ordered Lumen.

" Why?" Slate looked genuinely confused.

" Because something happened when the ice bridge collapsed, and we need information." explained Igneous. Slate still looked thouroughly confused.

" Then ask him. He's right there." Magma frowned while Igneous called flame back into his manacle.

" Because he can't remember anything about the first eleven years of his life. Something happened, and to find out what it is, we need to bring back his memory." Lumen's whispers were barely audible.

" But we got rid of everything but medical files and reports!" groaned Slate, rubbing his temples.

" Corona and I saved a few things." squeaked Sparkle, popping up between them.

All the Slate, Magma, Aqune, Igneous and Lumen looked at the duo. " What did you save?"

" A box we never could figure out how to open, a few charms, some wood carveings and a ratty old blue journal with the Military crest on it." said Corona, glanceing at Ember.

" Why keep an old journal?" asked Igneous, confused.

" We thought it was important, since when we found it it was wrapped up in cloth and hidden in a locked chest."

" Then bring what you salveged out to the war room." commanded Lumen. " Slate and Igneous, bring up every file on Hunter and every report he ever filed."

" We're on it!" exclaimed the quartet, rushing off to comlete their assighned duties.

" Aqune, you go find Shadow. We may need him. Bring him to the balcony of the war room."

" On it!" she said, saluteing as she scrambled off to complete her job, leaveing Ember, Lumen and Magma in the courtyard.

__

" Sorry. Nothing is ringing a bell." sighed Ember, setting down the last file. Lumen looked slightly disapointed. Corona began setting the contents of a small crate out on the table.

" Tell us if anything looks familiar." instructed Corona, setting the last wood carveing on the table. Ember looked hard at the assortment of rather detailed carveings.

" Who ever made these was pretty good at carveing." he said approveingly. Corona sighed.

" YOU carved them!" she groaned. " Can't you recognize your own work?"

" How many tree's have you seen in Junta?" asked Ember grumpily. Corona immediately shut up, the argument of their amazeing lack of trees silenceing her. Ember went back to the odd looking trinkets, the box, and the book. The book... the more he looked at it, the more bubbles filled his mind. Leafing through it, he looked at the familiar hand writeing. Suddenly a pain went through his mind and chest, a missplaced grief ravishing him.

_**Remember, never give up!**_

_** He dissapeared...**_

__" Someone dissapeared." said Ember breaking the silence. " Seven years ago, the person that owned this dissapeared."

" Do you remember who? Where they were?" asked Lumen.

" I don't know." said Ember, still somewhat dazed.

" Do you remember anything else?"

" No. That's it." Ember could'nt help but feel somewhat disapointed, the memory both he and the people around him so desperately needed and wanted, just slipping past his finger tips.

" All that for nothing!" groaned Igneous.

" Not true." stated Corona defenceively. " Progress is progress, and every tiny memory retrieved brings us one step closer to bringing back Hunter." Ember inwardly winced, not showing the sudden pain he felt in his chest. _All they want is to bring back the person they think I was._

" Lumen!" the sound of knocking brought everyone in the room back to reality.

" And our last shot for today arrives." chuckled Lumen, opening the curtained French doors to the balcony. Ember felt himself tense up in anticipation, watching a medium sized blue and white leg creep out after Aqune.

" Lumen, if this is a joke you have a sick, twisted sense of humor." mumbled the Spider, light shining on it's blue, white and gold body.

" Oh come now Shadow!" laughed Lumen. " You would tear me limb from limb if I joked about the death of a Spider's Rider! Now, I believe you two have some catching up to do." he gestured for Ember to walk over. But the red head never got the chance. The Spider's mood did a 180, landing on Ember, yelling abuse and releif at the same time, scolding him mercilessly. Once the Spider's tyrade was over, he promptly sat himself down next to his Rider.

" Who in Oracles name are you?" said Hunter, breaking the rather akward silence.

Shadow looked shocked and confused. Lumen looked sheepish as Shadow glared at him.

" I guess I forgot to mention he's got one hell of a case of amnesia." he giggled quietly. Corona and Igneous began to fill him in on the past few day's goings on.

" If I ever find out who is behind this, I'll beat him to a pulp and kick him of Mount Quake." he said flatly and venomously. Everyone, includeing Ember, shivered in fear, immageineing the bloody possibilities.

" That's what we're working on." said Magma, coming in from the hallway. " After we catch the low life bastards, I'm sure you can have them. By the way, Hunter-" Ember shot him a venomous, warning glare. " Uh, I mean EMBER'S room is ready."

" I'll take him." said Corona, smileing.

__

" You ready for this?" asked a brunette woman, dressed in a maid's uniform. An Invectid held on to the feebly squirming twin of the woman, her eyes wide as she stared at the butcher knife in the clone's hand.

" Yup. I kill the red head, you knock her out and smear blood on her uniform." ordered the clone with the butcher's knife. The trio snuck into the sleeping teen's room, murderous intent coming of the invectid and clone in tidal waves.

" Nice try!" hissed a voice, as blood poured out of the clone's mouth, a sword point pokeing out of her stomach. The invectid flung the maid away, trying to escape. He fell backward as razor sharp quil burried itself in his brain, while another sliced open his jugular vein. Ember helped the young maid to her feet, wipeing the blood on his hand's onto the spare blanket.

" Go get the castle guards." he commanded, practically shoveing her out the door. Suddenly something hard and blunt made contact with the back of his head, sending him spiraling into the dark.


	9. Chapter 9

YAY! Ch9!

_****_

_**" Shh..." the voice was soothing. Arms wrapped around my shoulders. Fuzzy fabric brushed against my skin. It hurt so much. The man was cleaning away the blood. His face was so familiar. Is my arm broken? It hurts so much! The water tastes funny...Where are the others?...Why is it getting dark...**_

__" What the hell are you doing?" Ember's eyes shot open. He was sitting out in the courtyard, wearing a pair of sweat pants and a tank top. The guard who had spotted him was rushing over, his partner quickly summoning Prince Lumen and a nurse.

" Huh?" murmured Ember, confused. " How'd I get out here?"

" Looks like you were sleep walking." sighed the guard. He turned as he heard Lumen running towards them, bath robe fanning out like a cape behind him. A nurse and Aqune were close behind him.

" Hunter, what are you doing out here?" asked the Prince tiredly. " Three AM is hardly a good time for a stroll!"

" He was sleep walking." informed the guard. Suddenly Igneous dashed out into the courtyard, panicking.

" Lumen! Hunter's room is covered in blood!" he looked as if he would jump out of his skin. Lumen looked at the blood stains on Ember's arms and clothes, putting two and two together.

" Who ever tried to kill him five years ago tried to finish the job." declared Lumen. The nurse ran her fingers over the back of Ember's head, stopping near his neck.

" I think he had a mild concussion. That's probably why he was sleep walking." she sighed, helping him up. " I'm going to keep him until tomorrow for observation."

The three Spider Riders watched as Ember, the Nurse and the two guards left. Suddenly, Aqune spoke.

" Whenever Hunter couldn't sleep, he'd come out here." she said quietly. Igneous and Lumen looked at her, multiple theories running through their heads.

" If he's doing things that Hunter would without knowing, there could be something seriously wrong." murmured Lumen. " Or the line defining Hunter's memories and his current ones has become jumbled."

" It may just be physical memory." interjected Igneous. " His body obviously wasn't affected by his mental condition."

" I think we should have Lilly take a look at him." declared Aqune. " She'll be able to see what fragments we've been able to uncover, and maybe be able to piece together a better diagnosis than ' I think he has amnesia,'."

" NO WAY!" yelled Ember angrily. " I am NOT having some fruit cake psychic going through my head!"

" It's quite safe!" persuaded Corona. " We just put you under for a little while and she sees what memories we have managed to uncover. Something in them might bring back others."

" Not. Happening." Corona sighed, giving the signal to Aqune to drug him. Ember yelled as the needle pierced his skin, passing out cold after a few colorful curses. The girls lay him out on the bed, Lilly entering and preparing for the experiment.

" Okay, I need to focus on him." the warning sent shivers up Corona's spine. She placed her finger on pressure points on his head, closing her eyes tightly. After a few moments she removed her hands.

" Right before he was found, there is a little flash of somewhere else. It was very soon after he fell, because he was still bleeding from the fall. Who ever did this drugged him and brought him in the path of the Junta council after wiping his memory."

" Speaking of the Junta Council..." began Igneous, peeking into the room, " They've come to collect Hunter!"

" WHAT?"

" If you EVER drug me again I'll KILL YOU!" growled Ember tiredly.

" Kill them later but right now we have a case to argue!"

__

" This is ridiculous!" proclaimed a young woman. " Since we took over, there has been nobody to look after the council members! It is Ember's obligation to care or than in their old age!"

" What about their families? Taking care of so many by yourself is near impossible!" barked Lumen. " Let them take on a fraction of the burden!"

" He won't be alone. We, as the new Council, have arraigned a quite beneficial match for him once we return." interjected a man.

" The day after we arrive home with Ember, he will be married off to Bianca." stated the only woman. " Being tied to such an influential family would be best for him."

" An arraigned marriage?" gasped Magma. " That is completely unheard of!"

" Oh, she's not that bad. Besides, since her father and brothers were killed, there must be a male in the family to do all of the up keeping on their land." scoffed another male. " Women are much to fragile, and better suited to kitchen work than manual labor."

" Why you sexist-" began Aqune as she entered the room, barely being held back by Igneous.

" Come on Ember. We have to leave if we plan to make it back in time for your wedding." said the only female pompously. " There are many preparations that are to be made and-"

" I'm not leaving." stated Ember mater-of-factly. The Council woman looked like she was having a brain hemorrhage.

" Who do you think you are?" roared another male on the Council. " How DARE you defy the wishes of the Council?"

" I don't obey tyrants." If looks could kill, the entire Council would be dead.

" Tyrant? Ha!" laughed the Council woman. " We are only interested in the good of the former council and your future financial security."

" If that was truly your aim, then you would not force one or two people to care for a Council of twenty." For once, Corona was glad that he had developed a calculating personality. " And the full council would NOT be coming all the way here just to collect me. That, and Snow is a woman's rights activist. You are NOT from Junta!"

" Wha-?" gasped Magma as the Council woman shed the human disguise, revealing the charred exoskeleton of an Invectid.

" Looks like the gig is up!" she hissed, the others revealing their Ivectid forms. " Kill the Spider Riders!"


	10. Chapter 10

Ch10!

_****_

Ember pulled out a clip that bunched up his hair, the silver blade clicking as it was released. The long strands of fire fell loose from their confinement, cascading down his shoulders to the center of his back.

" The court is to small to call out Spiders!" growled Igneous, pulling out his sword from it's sheath. " We'll have to fight them the-" Igneous's eyes widened as Ember used a table leg to knock three of the six out cold, killing a fourth with the knife at the same time.

" Note to self; get him a leash." muttered the commander as he and the other's joined the fight, easily apprehending the two remaining.

_****_

" Ow! Be careful where your sticking that thing!" yelled Ember as the nurse stitched up a gash on his forearm.

" Stop squirming!"

" Then stop trying to stab me!"

" I have to stitch this up!"

" Like hell you-mph!" Corona covered his mouth, shooting him a stern look.

" Thank you Lady Corona." sighed the nurse, making the last of ten stitches.

" Your welcome." replied the blond happily before dragging Ember out into the courtyard.

" What are you doing?" yelped Ember as she threw him on top of Shadow.

" We are going to visit the Spider Riders monument." she said as the Spiders sprinted through the city, narrowly dodging people, none of whom seemed fazed. After crossing a few fields, they came across a barren waste land.

" Wow. What happened here?"

" Before even the oldest citizen of Arachna was born, the Invectids destroyed this land. A few years ago, before you ended the war, we were attacked here." She explained. " This is the Spider Rider's monument."

" Cool." he said calmly.

" Corona! Who's that with you?" called an elderly female, tending to some saplings.

" Galina!" yelled Corona, bolting down the slopes with Ember close behind. " Long time no see!"

" Is that..." exclaimed the older woman as the Spiders stopped a few feet short of the saplings. She took a long hard look at Ember, practically yanking him of Shadow.

" It is." said Corona, nodding. The blond laughed as the older woman dragged him onto some taller saplings, to one with a crooked trunk.

" We planted these trees six years ago. Because you defended the monument from Bugeese, these trees will become a new forest!" she looked confused at the blank stare he was giving her. " I thought that he had killed this tree, but it grew up strong!"

" I'm sorry, but I don't remember." he said quietly. " I can't remember any of the first eleven years of my life."

" We're making progress though." said Corona, smiling. " We've managed to start brining back bits and pieces though." Galina frowned. Ember squeaked as her hand made contact with the back of his head.

" What the hell was that for you old bat?" yelled Ember angrily.

" _That _is for forgetting to visit before you disappeared." she said sternly. She smacked him again. " And _that_ is or calling me an old bat." She smirked as the red head mumbled 'fair enough' and whipped out a pair of scissors, opening and closing them menacingly. Ember hid behind Corona, cowering.

" Wh-what are you going to do with THOSE?" he stammered.

" Giving you a hair cut." she said, advancing on him. " Your a boy, and you wear a pony tail!"

" Don't you dare!" hissed Ember. " I'm forbidden to cut it!"

" Eh?" both Corona and Galina looked thoroughly confused. Ember let out an exasperated sigh.

" It is a Juntian tradition that you are forbidden to cut your hair until you are married." he explained. " It's proof that you are available to the parents of your potential spouse."

" Why would you need to prove it to the parents?" asked Corona.

" Unions are organized by social class and financial convenience." he stated. His eyes widened as he heard a snip.

" Done." said Galina proudly. Hunters hair curled up into the familiar spiky hairstyle, realeased from the weight of years of un-bridled growth. " Short hair looks better on you anyway." Corona had to hold him back to keep Galina safe from his fists of furry, telling him it's only hair, and it'll grow back.

" It's not like you _wanted_ it cut, so your just the victum of hair hommocide!" she said, as he started to calm down. " Let's look at the monument for a while."

" Fine." he huffed, sending murderous glares at the elderly woman. Hunter stared at the stone, feeling a little dizzy.

" Wow. Dejavu." he muttered, the dizzyness getting worse as he got closer.

" Well, you HAVE been here before." she giggled, pulling him up. " Feel the Oracle stone. Maybe she'll help get your memory back." Ember shrugged, doing as he was told. Blinding light filled his mind, a person surrounded by four keys. Suddenly the immage died, darkness swallowing up everything. Muted foot steps and paniced yelleing entered his mind, everything fadeing.

_**It's so cold...**_

_** Cold...**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**Ice tendrils**_

_** Water. Freshwater.**_

_** Snow. Lots of snow.**_

_** A stone bridge. And flowers of ice.**_

_** A voice. I know that voice.**_

_** Where are you? My body hurts...**_

_** It's light. Am I dead? No. It's a candle.**_

_** I know you. I'm sure I know you.**_

_** Why are you making me drink it? It's sour.**_

_** My head hurts. I can't remember. Everything gone.**_

_** It's getting dark. I don't want to sleep.**_

_** "It'll be okay."**_

_** I know your voice. I know you. I trusted you.**_

_** "It's better for you not to remember. You'll forgive me when your older."**_

_** No, I won't. Your killing me.**_

_** "You'll be safe."**_

_**I loved you. Your not supposed to hurt me.**_

_** Stop it!**_

_** Grandpa!**_

Ember's eyes shot open, his breath ragged. He glanced out the window. The sun was dark, no lights from the nearby village betraying a single citizen awake.

"Drink this." commanded Galena, propping him up and handing him a glance of water.

"Thanks." he said almost in monotone, his thoughts elsewhere. Galena gave him a hard stare.

"Corona's been worried sick." she said carefully. "I barely got her to go to bed an hour ago. Are you alright?"

"I don't know." he looked blankly out the windows. "My chest hurts."

"What?" she said, alarmed. "Where?"

Hunter placed his hand over his heart. "It hurts. It's not pain, but it hurts."

Galena's eyes softened, relief flooding through her. "Your sad." she said simply.

"It feels weird." he said, calmly. "It felt normal at home, but since I got here, it hasn't hurt like this."

Galena rubbed his back comfortingly. "Why would home make you feel sad?" she was determined to get answers out of him, even if she was taking advantage of a potentially ill child.

"I remember being alone, like I was missing something, but I couldn't remember what. Why are they different?"

"Who's they?" asked Galena, confused.

"Corona. And the Spider Riders. Why don't they hate me? I'm not what they want, and I can't remember what they want me to, but they don't hate me." he looked dead serious.

"Because they care about you." she said, smiling. "Your like their family. No matter what, they will always want to protect you and help you. Even if you won't be exactly the same as you were before. All they want is for you to smile for real. And yes, I can tell your faking them. You never were a convincing actor."

Hunter blinked, furrowing his brow.

"Have you ever heard of ice flowers?" Galena raised an eyebrow.

"The deserted Blooming Ice village? Thats the only place I've heard of that had them."

"Do you know where it is, er, was?" Galena grabbed a map from the bedside table.

"My husband made many trips there, and recorded everything on this map. Why, thinking of a vacation spot?"

"I remember a place with ice flowers. And water. Lots of water." Hunter squinted with the effort of trying to remember. "And my grandfather did something to me. I was angry at him for it. After that I can't remember"

"Oracle helped you." she said warmly. "She gave you a clue to what happened. Should we tell Corona?"

"No." Hunter pushed himself off the bed. "Whoever this guy is, and whatever he did to me, I'm not letting it happen to her, or anyone else."

"Wait, your not-" Hunter grabbed the bag he always kept strapped to Shadow and grabbing the parka, and his winter clothes. "Your going alone?"

"No way." said Shadow from outside. "I'm going with him."

"Then take some food. Your a growing boy, and you need to eat well." she scurried into her kitchen, tossing food that would last a few weeks of travel into a leather satchel. She filled an old canteen full of water, tossing it in with the food.

"If I walk at night and Shadow can carry me by day, we can make the Northern border in three days." said Hunter, strapping some supplies to Shadow. His clothes were pilled on top of the Spider, creating a soft pad for him to lay on.

"Try not to run into trouble." she warned, brown hair twitching in the wind.

"I try not to." He said, jumping onto Shadow. "Tell Corona I'll be back in about a week."

"I will." she said as the blue Spider, nearly invisible in the night, raced off towards the mountains.

_****_

"Galena, did Hunter wake up last night?" asked the blond anxiously. Galena nodded.

"He's gone." she said. "He'll be back in a week or two."

"Where did he go?" she panicked, dashing out to race after him.

"He went to the Blooming Ice village." she said calmly. "He didn't want you coming with him. I think he thought it would be dangerous." Corona had gone pale, contacting the other Riders.

"Lumen! Come in Lumen!" she yelled, still panicking.

"Corona!" yelled Lumen, obviously pissed off. "Where were you? We were about to send out a search party!"

"Hunter left!" she caught her breath, waiting for a response.

"Where did he go?"

Corona gulped. "To the abandoned Blooming Ice village, under the old ice bridge."


	12. Chapter 12

Hunter drew his parka close to his body, nervous shivers running down his spine. The snow was ankle deep, but he trudged on, his destination in sight. The ice flowers grew wild, the entire village exactly as it was in his dreams. The stone bridge was freshly swept; someone still lived here.

"Hello?" he called loudly. He walked slowly down the abandoned streets, before long coming to a cave with ice tendrils sculpting the outside.

_...forward..._

Hunter heard the gentle voice pull at him, his legs moving forward of their own accord. A crack echoed around him as a sheet of transparent ice crashed down behind him, blocking the entrance. He pressed forward and let out a shaky breath, his uncertainly growing the more the light of day disappeared.

_****_

"His footsteps are fresh." concluded Igneous, standing up. "We missed him by about an hour." A sound of humming filled the air, slowly drawing closer. An old man with a broom and an old sword hobbled into view, his graying hair sticking up at odd angles.

"Hey!" yelled Lumen, catching up to him with the other's not to far behind. "Have you seen a red head come by here? He's about five foot five, with a blue and white battle Spider."

The old man chuckled. "Blue and white? How odd. That only happens maybe once or twice a millennium."

"Have you seen the boy?"

"Many years ago." the old man grinned cheerily and hobbled off to finish whatever he was doing, still rambling.

"I used to be a Spider Rider, but arthritis forced my retirement." He continued sweeping. "Foolish youth, diving head first into traps they know nothing about, seeking what they know not even of it's existence."

"Old man, have you seen our friend?" asked Igneous, getting annoyed.

"My old eyes have seen plenty, and your friend is one of them, but that was years ago, when Hunter was a small child, and when he was the Spider Rider you knew." Corona looked at him, clearly puzzled.

"A small child? Sir, thats not possible. Hunter is an Earthen." The old man looked at her with eerily familiar emerald green eyes.

"An Earthen, yet Turanadot. How odd Oracle's tastes. What does birth place matter? Born there, and always here, until corruption took hold of the ministers. A sick fiend would dare try to terminate the Spider Riders, by killing off or enslaving the children destined to be one! And yet your parents didn't see the poison you put into your own homes, and it is you, their children, who have paid the price. It was better for him to forget, and be safe from what sought to use you like pawns, and dispose of you like trash."

"What are you talking about? How do you know Hunter's memories are gone?" exclaimed Magma, going into a mix of fan-boy, and serious military personnel mode.

"Because I took them away. Sometimes it's better to forget than remember the perverted truth behind another's intentions. And sometimes sacrifices are to be made to protect another, as you all know too well." he continued sweeping, watching the snow blow in swirls in the wind.

"Why would you do that?" raged Magma. "Why would you take away Hunter's memories? How the hell is that protecting anyone?"

"Too protect him from himself." said the old man bluntly. "Hunter has the potential to birth the worst case scenario for everyone, without intending it in the least. Oracle's power resides only in you, like storehouses. But Hunter's body stores, absorbs and can use it. It's proof enough he survived the fall from the bridge five years ago with only two broken bones and a few gashes. If any of your council figured this out, it will bring about the apocalypse. I took Hunter's memories to take him away from you. If he was never in contact with those who seek power for their own gain, and taken where everyone knew next to nothing about the Spider Riders, the threat of an apocalypse would be over for another generation. And he would live out the rest of his life far away from the threat of confinement and slavery."

"So, if it was discovered..." began Aqune, shuddering.

"It was discovered. It is easy to wipe clean the mind of a child, and give them fake memories." he said. "And apocalypse barely avoided." the old man's eyes widened as he caught sight of the ice wall covering the cave.

"Whoa..." muttered Igneous.

"The shrine sealed itself." murmured the man. "Someone is inside."

Corona went into panic mode when she saw the boot prints disappear under the ice.

"He's on the other side of this wall."she said worriedly. "We have to get in!"

"Theres another entrance higher up." revealed the man, starting towards a steep slope of stone steps. "It's near impossible to find from the inside, and the only other way out."

"Are you sure your up to it?" asked Magma, glancing skeptically at the man's thin limbs. He was promptly whacked on the head with the broom handle.

"I'm not to old to go on a go-for-broke rescue mission!" he barked. "Young folk today; no respect for their elders!"

"Lead the way...um..." began Aqune.

"Digger. My name is Digger." Corona frowned, something tickling at the back of her mind.

"Hurry up! Old man Digger's got more energy than you'd think!" called Lumen. A squeak of pain quickly followed. The blond raced up the treacherous looking slope, a dark feeling tightening around her heart.

"Please be okay..."


	13. Chapter 13

Ember struck the flint again, finally meeting success. A small flame roared to life in front of him, illuminating the cave. His internal clock was telling him it was night, the tinny rifts in the ceiling confirming it. He guessed it was about midnight, his his pace was as steady as he thought.

"Get some sleep." commanded Shadow. "I'll keep watch." The Spider gently pushed him over, covering him with the thick cloak he had brought with them. Ember was asleep in minutes, his tiny yet still growing body demanding sleep. Shadow settled in beside him, hiding his body from anyone who might find their way in. It was A Spider's duty to protect their Rider. He felt sleep tugging on him as well, finally giving in to the gentle lull of sleep.

_****_

Digger had vanished. Corona look dumbstruck at where the ghost had been moments before.

"This place is full of spirits." murmured Aqune. "Maybe this is the record room of legends."

"Then, what-"

"What chya doing?" asked a voice from out of nowhere. Magma silently pointed to the silhouette of a young boy, about four or five, standing near a turn in the tunnel.

"A child?" muttered Igneous.

"Are you lost?" asked the boy.

"Stay there." commanded Aqune, grabbing the light. She slowly moved towards the child, trying to illuminate his face. "Are you a ghost."

"I'm not born yet." he said simply. "Mommy and Daddy aren't together yet."

"Are you alone?"

"He shouldn't be here." it repeated. "He wasn't supposed to come back."

"Who wasn't supposed to come back?"

"Go find him. The shadows are going to get him if you don't hurry." Aqune finally succeeded in revealing the child. His bright blue eyes and strawberry blond hair standing out from the pale white ice.

"Where is he?" asked Corona. "What shadows?"

"That way." he pointed to the center tunnel. "Hurry or he'll disappear for real."

"What was he talking about?" asked Lumen nervously. The child ran down the tunnel, signaling for them to follow.

"We have to find Ember, and fast!" insisted Corona, heading down the tunnel. The others nodded, following suit.

_****_

Ember grunted as he and Shadow began sliding an ice door off a hole in the wall. A little crack echoed through the cave as it gave, shattering and taking a chunk of snow from the roof with it. His eyes widened as he saw an immense library, warm and full of unopened books. Slowly he stepped in, the heat forcing him to remove his parka.

"Shadow in." he said, Shadow being sucked inside his manacle. He walked slowly through the isle of books, the spines reading people's names. A name caught his eye as he ran his finger over the deep blue spine. "_Hunter Steele..._" he removed the book from the shelf and sat himself down in one of the enormous black arm chairs.

"Date of birth, July nineteenth, 1995." he murmured, becoming thoroughly engrossed in the book.

_So this is who they think I am, or I was..._ thought Ember approvingly. _I kind of like him. He's bit of a nuisance, though. And brave. He's an excellent character for a novel. Why is the first four chapters ripped out?_

He began to blush as he reached a part in the boy's eleventh year. "Completely and totally in love with Corona?" he felt his face go red as a tomato, burning like fire. His eye caught the last sentence on the page.

"Woke up in Junta, with severe amnesia..." He dove headfirst int the book, shock growing with each passing sentence.

"A library?" Corona pulled off her parka, noticing small pools of water leading in.

"I think he's in here." she said, following the disappearing trail. Soon she was lost in the many rows. She caught a glimpse of a green parka on the other side of a shelf. She raced to the end, desperate to reach him before the child's warning came true. She was rewarded with finding him curled up in the chair, with a book in his hand.

"Ember, wake up!" she said, shaking his shoulder. He didn't wake up.

"He's not waking up." Aqune tried rousing him, giving him a few good slaps across the face. Still nothing.

"He's got a pulse." said Magma, finger's on his thin, delicate looking wrist. "Why can't he wake up?"

"That's the spell of this place." said the little boy. "If a living person stays here to long they're cursed with a sleeping death." Corona pulled the parka on him, Magma picking him up.

"Lets go home." sighed Aqune. "Maybe Lilly can fix this."

The Spider Riders carefully placed Ember on Venus, Corona holding him still as they begun the week long journey back home.


	14. Chapter 14

So much blood. Blood everywhere.

"It's all your fault everyone is dead." said a man. The small child squirmed away from him, trying to disappear. The stones of the shrine were slick with blood, quickly becoming ice. "Be a good boy and give me your heart." The icy metal dug into his chest, and an explosion of light followed soon after.

_**End Flashback...**_

"That...that really happened. But, why? What happened before that?" whispered the red head. He knew he was only present in his consciousness, though he was not at all alone.

"That's why we jumped on the bridge." said the eleven year old sharing his mind. "I believed it was the only way to stop the nightmare, after the memory of that night resurfaced."

"We WANTED to die..."

"They wanted our heart while I was still alive. They won't stop until they have our heart in their hands." he recognized himself in the boy, the only missing thing the scar on his head. "Death was the only option."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Ember was surprised at his own question.

"Because I didn't want to put everyone else in danger." he said. "Especially Corona. I was planning suicide for months, and when Sparkle got stuck, it was the perfect opportunity to make it look accidental."

"But why was death the best option?"

"Maybe it wasn't." he sighed. "But I wanted to die. Maybe this was only an excuse..."

"Why did you want to die?"

"I'm not sure." he said simply. "There are so many excuses I could have used. Everyone precious to me had died, and everyone seemed better off without me. I was just so tired of living, and scared that I would become like Mantid if another War began. But no. I just couldn't handle living anymore."

"But...If you really loved Blondie, why did you try to kill yourself?" Ember cold feel anger bubbling his stomach. "Do you have any idea how that made Corona feel?"

"I knew." he said simply. "I knew she would get over it. I knew she never loved me. They must never have found my suicide note. Then they would have known that death is what I wanted. Though, being trapped in here is pretty close."

"You are an idiot." hissed Ember. "If you won't let me see who began this years ago, I'll find them, and destroy them myself."

"Wishful thinking." he said, sadly. "I tried. They cannot be stopped. Everyone will be safe if we die."

_**Spider Riders Spider Riders Spider Riders Spider Riders Spider Riders Spider Riders Spider Riders **_

"It should be safe to wake him up." said Lilly, grabbing the Oracle's stone she needed for the ritual. She placed it on his forehead, her hands on the sides of his head. Corona couldn't make out the words she was chanting, her eyes closed in concentration.

"That should do it." she said after a few minutes. She was proven right after his eyes began to flicker open, his eyes focusing lazily to the lights.

"Ember!" she said, removing the stone from his forehead, replacing it with her hand. "Are you alright? You've been asleep for nearly a week!"

"Can't...breathe..." he coughed, her arms constricting around his chest, trapping his lungs.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Ember cowered as she went into rage mode. "Going off alone like that? Do you have ANY IDEA how WORRIED everyone was? If you weren't in the hospital, I'd KICK YOUR ASS!"

"I'll take you up on that when I get out." he said, regaining his composure. "I sure as hell deserve it." Corona's mouth hung open.

"Wait...you AGREE you deserve a beating?" she immediately stuck a thermometer in his mouth. "Oh great Oracle! Are you sick? Is your stomach upset? How many finger's am I holding up?"

"I'm...I'm fine." he said. "Just a little vertigo." He wasn't lying. His head WAS spinning from lying down so long.

"Okay..." she wasn't convinced. Her intuition was too sharp, and she could feel the disturbance in the emotions he was emitting. Something was wrong. "Just call if you need anything."

"Okay." his thoughts were elsewhere, trying to piece together his past suicide attempt.

"Get some rest." she commanded. He snorted, the familiar habit setting her at ease.

_**Spider Riders Spider Riders Spider Riders Spider Riders Spider Riders Spider Riders Spider Riders **_

Ember felt himself moving. His head hurt like hell. All sounds were muted, like he was on the other side of a closed window. He could hear someone calling.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" exclaimed a nurse, grabbing him and ripping the scalpel out of his hands.

"I'm...what?" Ember looked at his other arm. Gashes laced the white flesh, red fluid seeping out of them and staining the hospital gown. "What the hell?"

She quickly bandaged the wound, calling for a doctor. "You didn't realize you were doing it?" she also bandaged a similar wound on his throat.

"No." he said. "Why the hell would I try to kill myself?"

__"Lay down and rest." she said. "We're going to go get Corona, Aqune, and Lilly."

"What's going on?" Aqune was still wearing her pajama pants, a shirt hastily thrown over her tank top. Corona was still in her night gown, as was Lilly.

"His body is acting by itself." said the nurse. "He unconsciously tried to slit his throat and wrists."

"What?" exclaimed Aqune, her normally cool composure lost.

"Just as I suspected." sighed Lilly. "There are two conscious minds."

Corona's jaw dropped.

"I sensed it when I woke you up." explained the seer. "Your memory of the past has developed into it's own consciousness, and is acting on it's own." she examined the wounds.

"In other words, the memories of what happened before have returned, and the consciousness we know as Hunter is trying to destroy this body." Lilly looked up. "It's multiple personality disorder. quite common, though I've never heard of spells or Rituals causing it..."

"So, the night he was sleep walking and now..." began Aqune.

"Were all Hunter. It seems that Digger's spell only worked partially, and the end result was Ember's personality and mind set." Lilly frowned. "Hunter probably had it before, and he must have been in EMBER'S state of mind when the memories were erased. That would explain why the memories were retrievable. Wiping ones memory with a Spell or Ritual is irreversible."

"How could we have NOT noticed two totally different personalities in the same person?" asked Corona, crossing her arms angrily.

"That's what I'm confused with too." said Lilly. "I believe that the persona of Ember was created some time during the war. Many people with multiple personalities disorder create their other persona when stress becomes to much for them to handle. Ember is like a copy of the original, but slightly different."

"How is he different?" asked Aqune, looking skeptically at the red head.

"Ember does not freeze up in battle, and drones out any distractions around him. Ember is the warrior persona Hunter unconsciously created to deal with the war when it became too much for him to handle. He probably never even knew what happened, or knew when the switch happened. I believe the battle of Nuuma triggered it when he was shot point blanc by Bugese."

"So, HUNTER is trying to kill them both?" asked Corona, shock evident on her face.

"Yes." replied Ember. "I don't think he can do anything unless I'm asleep."

"But why?" asked Aqune.

"It's something about someone trying to literally steal my heart." said Ember. "And I mean slicing it out of my chest while I'm still alive." Everyone in the room looked like they were going to be sick.

"I've heard of that." said Lilly. "Eating the heart of a Spider Rider was rumored to make you invincible. I thought it was total bull."

"Then why weren't we targeted?" asked Corona.

"The Digger ghost said that Hunter's memory was wiped twice." said Aqune. "Once when he was a toddler and five years ago. He was probably the easiest target. Magma had a large family when he was small, Igneous, Sparkle and Lumen were born in the castle, and we are Oracle's handmaids."

"I did some digging about the Blooming Ice village and found out a few interesting things." said Corona. "There was a Shrine to Spirit Oracle up the cliff on the south side. It was rumored that Blooming Ice was impossible to siege. Yet, every villager died in an attack from the Invectids, at least that's what the official records say."

"I remember that shrine." said Lilly, smiling. "It was where all the Seers used to be trained, and a few Spider Riders as well. It was like another Arachna."

"What else do you remember about it?" asked Aqune, snatching a note pad from a bewildered nurse and taking notes.

"I remember that the city center was always busy, and the smell of the ice roses, and I remember a blue, white and gold baby Spider." Lilly smiled. "It was Shadow. He used to be so cute. And a little toddler he always seemed to be keeping out of trouble. That little one seemed to step into a knee high puddle of trouble with every step. He must have been about one, since he was barely learning to walk, but he was already in training to be a Spider Rider."

"Then that may have been Hunter." said Aqune quietly. "You two actually used to get along!" Ember shot her a look.

"All I remember is blood and an explosion." said Hunter. "I think I was too young to really remember."

"This could be difficult." sighed Lilly. "What about the man who attacked you."

"I know this sounds kind of weird, but he looked exactly like Commander Chidora. Minus all those burns."

"Ember, when your that small, you couldn't have had much control of your own power yet." said Lilly kindly. "It's likely that you were the cause of the explosion. If Oracle's power is not controlled, even in the minute amount that flows through us, can cause a devastating explosion. Don't worry. Get some sleep, and this nurse will make sure Hunter can't do you physical harm."

Ember nodded, lying down while the girls exited.

"I wonder..." murmured Lilly.

"What?" asked Corona.

"If Ember is correct, and Commander Chidora is the man who attacked him, how deeply could the military and government be involved?" Lilly got a rare determined look in her eyes. "We have to get to the bottom of this, if not to bring peace to both Ember and Hunter, but the future generations of Spider Riders."

"We'll need to investigate Blooming Ice." said Aqune seriously.

"Once Ember is well enough, we'll leave and do a thorough investigation of the ruins." amended Corona. "I just hope he'll be alright with it."

"He will." said Aqune, smiling. "If Ember is the warrior persona, he's tougher than nails!"

"But why would Hunter want to die?" asked the blond. "It makes no sense! He...he never gives up, and suicide is giving up!"

Aqune put an arm around her sister in an attempt at comforting her. "I don't know, but we will find out in Blooming Ice, and after we interrogate Commander Chidora."

"I hope your right." she sighed, glancing back to the hospital. _Sleep well,_ she thought, before running after Aqune and Lilly.


End file.
